Marine vessel.



No. 741,512. PATBNTED oom-1 3, 1903. c. H. LEB.

MARINE VESSEL. APPLICATION FILED H AY 4, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

\. BY r A TTOHNE Y TH: Nanms Pernis co. maTaLnno.. wnsnmmon, n. c.

ivo. 741,5'1.

UNITED STATES I atented October 13, 1902i.

VPATENT OFFICE.

MARINE VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION frning part f Letters' :Patent No. 741,512, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed May 4, 1903.

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. LEE, a citi'- zen of the United States, and a resident of Southampton, in the county of Suifolk and State of NewYork, have invented a new and that type wherein the motivepower is fur,

nished by an explosive-engine' which requires the use of liquid fuel, pleasure craft of this pairs.

class being commonly designated as naphtha-launches, although I would have it understood that my improvements are not conned to` this particular kind of marine vessels.

,The object of the present improvement is to prevent liquid fuel from escaping into the i hold or any interior part of the vessel, thus minimizing the danger of accident likely to result from explosion or ignition.

A, further Objectis to so construct the parts that access may be obtained readily to the fuel-conveying pipe for 'inspection and re- The broad features of my invention consist in the arrangement, outside of the hull, of the fuel-pipe which conveys liquid fuel from a storage-tank to theengine, in connection with '14 15, which are united at theirmeeting por- 'tions by a suitable form of coupling 16. The

devices by which any upstanding branch of this pipe is surrounded by a stand-pipe open to the water and serving to discharge leaking fuel into the water without any possibility whatsoever ofsaid fuel escaping into the vessels interior.

Reference iste be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference in dicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis an elevation, partly in section, of a marine vessel having my improvements ap-V plied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation showing the connections of the fuelsupply pipe with a fuel-tank, and Fig. 3 is another sectional elevation illustrating the means employed for connecting the fuel-supply pipeqwith a part of a motor and an externally-located valve for controlling the iiow of fuel through said supply-pipe.

The forward end ofthe vessel has the usual collision-bulkhead 5, forming a compartment 6, which contains a tank 7 for the storage of liquid fuel. The bottom of this tank has a .an opening et.

Serial No. 155,522.` (No model.)

coupling-plate 8, united thereto in a suitable way, and to this plate is united the npstandjing branch 9 ofpa fuel-supply pipe 10, the lat- 'ter running'lengthwise of the vessel, ou the outside of the hull thereof, andv close to one side of the keel, substantially as shown by the drawings. This pipe maybe of any suitable length, and it runs from the fuel'- tank located in the forward part of the vessel to a Vpoint close to the motor or engine for driving the screw-propeller, the'rear end of said pipe having another upstanding branch 11, which is connected to a part of the engine-as, for instance, the carburetor, the position of which is indicated at 12. has acoupling-plate 13, into which is screwed. the upper extremity of the branch 11, forming a part of the fuel --pipe 10. The two branches 9 11 of this fuel-pipe pass through `12 of the engine, lsaid stand-pipes being open `to the water in which the vessel is partly submergedL The stand-pipes for the branches 9 11 are similar-in construction and arrangement, so that a description of one will answer for the other.

Each stand-pipe consists of two members lower member 14: of the stand-pipe is attached l to the hull in a way to communicate with the vsurrounding water, and in one embodiment of the invention the hull A is provided with Against the outside of the hull is applied a plate 17, while a companion plate 18 is fitted to .the inside of the hull, the two plates being united by bolts 19, which pass throughthe hull. The plates 17 18 areV provided with openings which communicate with the opening a, in the hull, and the external plate 17 is provided with a collar 17, having an internal or female thread into which is screwed the lower externally-thread-` This part of the engine stand-pipes which are fitted to the hull of the vessel to the tank 7 and to the carburetor ed end of the member 14, forming a part of the stand-pipe. The upper member 15 of this stand-pipe is externally threaded for a part of its length, as shown more clearly by Figs. 2 andB, and this threaded lower part of said 4Ico upper pipe member is tted loosely in the upper portion of the lower member 14. On the threaded part of said upper pipe member 15 l is screwed the coupling 1G, which is flanged, as at 20, in a way to embrace the pipe member 14, so as to rest thereon. :Phe joint between the adjustable pipe member 15, the fixed pipe member 14, and the coupling 16 is made Water-tight by the employment of a suitable gasket 21, which may be of leather or other material. The upper extremity of the member 15 forming a part of the standpipe is expanded at 22 and flanged at 23, and in this hanged end of the pipe lmember is fitted a flanged compressible gasket 24, the same being made of rubber or other yielding material and disposed to have engagement with the bottom of the tank 7.

As shown by Fig. 2, the compressible gasket 23 :is fitted to a part of the coupling-plate 8 and to the flanged end of the stand-pipe member 15. The coupling 16 may be rotated on the pipe member 14 for the purpose of lifting the member 15, so as to compress the gasket 24 around the joint between the member 15 and the tank. At the same time this coupling 16 subjects the gasket 2l to pressure in a Way to secure a tight joint between the4 members 14 15 and the coupling 16.

It will be observed that the upstanding branch of the fuelpipe is surrounded by a two-part stand-pipe having its members connected in a way to prevent the passage of` water between the pipe members and to secure a tight joint between one member of the stand-pipe and the tank. It' any leakage of liquid fuel occurs, it takes place at the coupling between the tank and the fuel-pipe; but in my invention the leaking fluid iows into -the stand-pipe, by which said fuel is conducted directly into the surrounding water, thereby effectually overcoming any escape of the fuel into the interior of the vessel. If it is desired to inspect or repair the joint between the tank and the fuel-pipe, it is only necessary to unscrew the coupling 16, so that it will take a position on the non-threaded upper part of the pipe member 15, whereupon this member will drop freely into the fixed pipe member 14, and thus withdraw said pipe member 15 from engagement with the tank. It is obvious that the packing 24 can be removed or that it will adjust itself with the pipe member 15, thus allowing the operator to examine the connection between the tank andthe pipe branch 9 and to also repair the same. The member 15 may readily be restored toits operative position by screwing the coupling 16 on the threaded part of the pipe, said coupling serving to press the gasket 2l and compress the packing 24. As the branch 11 of the fuel-pipe attached to the part 12 of the engine is surrounded bya stand-pipe constructed similarly to the stand-pipe for the pipe branch 9, the operator is also able to inspect and repair the joint between said pipe branch 11 and the carbureter 12 of the engine. The tank 7 is also provided at its lowerportion with a collecting gutter or trough 25, which may be attached to the bottom ot' the tank in a position to catch any fuel that may escape. This drain-gutter extends around the tank, and said gutter is provided at one point with a depressed pocket 26, with which communicates the upper portion of a drainpipe 27, the latter having its lower extremity coupled to the stationary member 14 of the stand-pipe, whereby the fuel collected in the gutter 25 is discharged to the outside of the vessel. I have also provided the pipe lO of the fuel-distributing system with a cut-off valve or cock 28, which is located externally of the vessel. This valve or cock may be of any kind known to 'those skilled in the art, and it is introduced in the line of the pipe 10 at a point between the branches 9 11, which connect the respective end portions of said fuel-pipe with the supply-tank and the engine. The movable element of the cock or valve is manipulated by a stem 29, which passes through a suitable stuffing-box 30 in the hull A, thus making provision for opening and closing the externally-located valve at a point within the boat. I do not, however, desire to limit myself to the special style of valve, the stuffing-box, nor the means for operating said valve, because these details may be modified by a skilled constructor.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a marine vessel, a system for supplying and distributing fuel to an engine, having a fuel-pipelocated outside of the hull and provided with a branch extending into said hull, and a stand-pipe open to the Water and surrounding said branch of the fuel-pipe.

2. In a marine vessel, a fuel-distributing system having an externally-located pipe and an upstanding branch, and a stand-pipe surrounding said branch and open to the Water, said stand-pipe having members coupled separably together.

3. In a marine vessel, a fuel-distributing system having an externally-located pipe and an inwardly-extending branch, and a standpipe surrounding said branch and disposed between the vessel and the element or part to whichl the pipe branch is coupled.

4. In a marine vessel, the combination with an inwardly-extending branch of a fuel-pipe, of a sectional stand-pipe surrounding said pipe branch and open to the water, said stand-pipe having its members coupled to form a tight joint between themselves.

5. In a marine vessel, the combination with an inwardly-extending branch of a fuel-pipe, of a stand-pipe open to the water and surrounding said pipe br'anch, and means for securing a tight joint between said stand-pipev and the element or part to which the pipe branch is coupled.

6. In a marine vessel, the combination with an externallylocated pipe having an inwardly-extending branch, of means inclosing said branch and open to the vadmission of water.

7. In a marine vessel, the combination with an element located in thevessel, of a pipe coupled to said element, and a stand-pipe inclosing said first-mentioned pipe and fitted by a tight joint to said element, said standppe being withdrawable at will from engage- -ment with said element.

8. In a marine vessel, a system for supplying and distributing liquid fuel to an engine, having an externally-located pipe, and a controlling valve or cock interposed in said pipe at a point between the source of supply and the engine, said valve or cock having means for manipulating the same at a point within the vessel.

9. A marine vessel having a fuel-tank, a

pipe coupled to said tank, and a collectinggutter on said tank and provided with a drain-pipe for discharging collectedY matter. 

